Watson’s Catering Leaps a Hurdle

During the July 29 Planning & Zoning meeting Riversglen LLC’s proposal for final site plan was approved, but not without a raft of conditions.

Eric Brower said Susan Scully, owner of Watson’s Catering, wishes to occupy the downstairs of the nearly completed building at One Glenville St and close her two existing locations in 87 and 201 Pemberwick Rd.

Off the Table: Crosswalk & Parking at the MillMr. Brower reported that the proposal no longer seeks parking across the street at the Mill, which would have involved written permission from the owner, and installation of a crosswalk across Glenville Rd, roughly at mid point between the two traffic lights (one at Riversville Rd and the other outside Stop and Stop).

Monica Pottgen, a Glenville Street neighbor asked for clarification of distinction between daytime and evening events and where guests would park.

Mr. Brower clarified that operating as a Retail Food Establishment, Watson’s would primarily be prepping food during the day for offsite events.

“The proposal of 30 person events is off the table,” Mr. Maitland explained to Pottgen, adding that Watson’s guests will be limited to using the parking spots on site, “and operate as a deli would.” As a retail food establishment, just like a deli, Watsons would be entitled to hosting two private evening tasting events a month without liquor.

Mr. Brower said that earlier in the day he had submitted copies of several letters in support of the proposal to P&Z, including one from Mr. Ralph Vuolo, co chair of the Glenville Preservation Association. Another letter of support was from Hope Jayes, who lives on Angelus Drive immediately behind the proposed Watson’s site. Also, Brower reported that Kathy Tyburski, an immediately adjacent property owner who shares a driveway with One Glenville Rd, submitted a letter in support. Brower said there were three other letters in support.

Mary Hull on Watson’s: A Huge Asset, Plenty of Parking at Night in the Supermarket
Mary Hull, who has been the director of Green & Clean for 30 years, spoke during the public comment time. She said she had been involved in five different planning studies in Town, and described Watson’s move to One Glenville Road as “a huge asset.”

“I see because my office is on Pemberwick Rd and every night I struggle to get out of Pemberwick Rd to take a left to go to the supermarket. …So this appears to me to be terrific terms of planning,” Hull said. “Green and Clean has been focusing on making the area beautiful. We have been clearing Glenville Green so I am looking for foot traffic.”

“My POCD listening ear heard all the people worrying about big box stores, chain stores and expensive stores. This is a local lady, opening a 25 year successful business,” Hull said. “I have experienced her catering often and it is terrific, she will be able to have more tastings….”

“I’m hoping that because parking has not been a problem — traffic has been a problem, not parking — that they could walk one block down to the empty supermarket. There is plenty of available space in the supermarket.” – Mary Hull, Director of Greenwich Green & Clean

“I’m sure if she had table and sit down dinners, they could walk one block to the empty supermarket,” Mary Hull suggested.

In his letter of support, Mr. Vuolo, the co chair of the Glenville Preservation Association, listed the 12 conditions agreed to with the Zoning Board of Appeals of and the a group of his Glenville neighbors:

standard of no more then 12 people for on site consumption of food

2 evening events per month

12 max per seating event

no parking across the street in a commercial lot

evening events will only be open by invitation

waive right to minimum liquor events per year – waive right to public events at night

Moving perishables does not take place after hours, not make noise with bottles, etc after hours

Truck will pull up to loading dock, and have no back up beeping noise.

Provide a sign that says no Watsons parking Angelus Drive.

No live entertainment

Evening events start at 6pm and end at 10:00pm.

Apply to the Board of Selectmen to implement residents only parking plan for Angelus Drive residents.

The commission voted to approve the final site plan with the conditions listed above.

"Where I struggle is we grant more FAR and yet the applicant does not meet the requirement of our parking regulations. And yet the applicant has spoken consistently of building a facility to fully accommodate its growth and future demand, yet the facility starts out not providing parking per regulations. That’s made me uncomfortable throughout this." – P&Z acting chair Margarita Alban

OPEN HOUSE: Sunday, Feb 24, 1:00 to 3:00 pm. This mid-country Georgian Colonial offers sophisticated luxury, with rooms washed in sunlight. There are five bedrooms, four baths, and two powder rooms. There are also two fireplaces and a four car attached garage.

The second annual Last Taste of Summer craft beer festival benefited from warm temps and sunshine on Saturday following a week of very heavy rain. The festival featured live music and numerous food trucks, with samplings from over 30 of Connecticut’s finest craft breweries and distilleries. Proceeds of the festival went to Live Green CT! ’s Start In Your Own Front Yard Program that helps to prevent plastic from getting into the ocean.

In Case You Missed It

Indivisible Greenwich, a local chapter of Indivisible, the national movement created to protect America’s democracy during the Trump Administration, will meet on Thursday, February 21st, at 7:00pm, at Eastern Middle School, 51 Hendrie Avenue, Riverside. The meeting will be a joint event co-hosted with Indivisible Stamford, a Stamford chapter of Indivisible.